US Homeland Security head defends airport patdowns

WASHINGTON: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the use of full-body scanners and invasive pat-downs at airports around the U.S. will not change for the ``foreseeable future.''

Napolitano tells CNN's ``State of the Union'' that she is always looking to improve the security systems in place but adds that the new technology and the pat-downs are safer for the traveling public.

Napolitano also dismisses a recent news report about major airports failing secrets tests designed to get contraband such as guns and knives past security screeners. The report said some airports had a 70 percent failure rate.

The Homeland Security secretary says many of the tests were old and out of date and that there were other problems with them.

Napolitano's interview aired Sunday on CNN.